Hello it’s Janet Torley here and this is the first of a series of very short helpful tips to help anybody who’s struggling with their networking pitch. I want to help you lose all the erms and the arrs and the signs of lack of confidence that stop you shining like the star you should be.

So here is my first tip; if you can, stand up. In fact I would say always stand up to deliver your 60 second elevator pitch. It doesn’t matter if no one else is standing, you do it because when you stand, you feel instantly more confident because you can plant your feet firmly on the ground. Plant your feet just slightly apart, ideally just underneath your hips, that way you’ve got a firm, confident stance. Practice it a few times. But what to do with your hands when you’re doing that, well, I would suggest that you don’t jingle them in your pockets and if in doubt why not just hold your hands nicely and relaxed by your sides?

So there we go, that’s one very simple tip to help you become a more confident networker and that’s stand up and stand tall.